Transmission coefficient electronic, Marcus theory

In contrast to the experimentally based work discussed above, in the most recent comprehensive theoretical discussion [21d], Bixon and Jortner state that the question of whether non-adiabatic or adiabatic algorithms describe electron-transfer reactions was settled in the 1960s, and that the majority of outer-sphere electron-transfer reactions are non-adiabatic. This is certainly true for the reactions that occur in the Marcus inverted region in which these authors are interested, but we think the question of whether reactions in the normal region are best treated by adiabatic theory that includes an electronic transmission coefficient or by non-adiabatic equations remains to be established. 

The transmission coefficient k - kET / /4)r measures the departure of the rate constant from its Marcus, TST value and can be directly computed, for different choices of the electronic coupling p, in an MD simulation for the ET reaction [8]. The first important point is that for p = 1 kcal/mol, k is quite close to unity there are few recrossings of the barrier and the Marcus TST Theory is thus an excellent approximation. 

The Marcus classical free energy of activation is AG , the adiabatic preexponential factor A may be taken from Eyring s Transition State Theory as (kg T /h), and Kel is a dimensionless transmission coefficient (0 < k l < 1) which includes the entire efiFect of electronic interactions between the donor and acceptor, and which becomes crucial at long range. With Kel set to unity the rate expression has only nuclear factors and in particular the inner sphere and outer sphere reorganization energies mentioned in the introduction are dominant parameters controlling AG and hence the rate. It is assumed here that the rate constant may be taken as a unimolecular rate constant, and if needed the associated bimolecular rate constant may be constructed by incorporation of diffusional processes as ... 

We saw in Chapter 7 that the transmission coefficient k takes into account the fact that the activated complex does not always pass through to the transition state and the term kT/h arises from consideration of motions that lead to the decay of the activated complex into products. It follows that, in the case of an electron transfer process, K kT/h) can be thought of as a measure of the probability that an electron will move from D to A in the transition state. The theory due to R.A. Marcus supposes that this probability decreases with increasing distance between D and A in the DA complex. More specifically, for given values of the temperature and A G, the rate constant varies with the edge-to-edge distance... 

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